Truth and Mystery
by Amiiix3
Summary: Isabella Swan, a vital guard in the Volturi, learns the secret of her origin. Now she must find the vampire who created her, Carlisle Cullen, and his mysterious coven. Suddenly she is swept into a world she has never known. ExB AU .
1. A Discovery

**A/N: Enjoy. And review. Even for this really short 'prologue'. He he.  
**

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**Summary: **Isabella Swan, a vital guard in the Volturi, learns the secret of her origin. Now she must find the vampire who created her, Carlisle Cullen. Suddenly she is swept into a world she has never known. ExB.

_**Prologue**  
_

_Carlisle Cullen_.

The name rang through my head the entire day. Slowly, slowly, slowly… as the hours went by, my panic grew.

Perhaps it had been a vain attempt to make myself feel stronger, more beautiful, that I had told myself…

I had lied to myself…

And now it was all coming back.

_Carlisle Cullen._

He was the one. The one who changed me.


	2. A Plan

**A/N: I'm giving you three chapters in a row, just to heighten the feeling of suspense. : ) **

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**Recaps: **_Carlisle Cullen. _

He was the one. The one who changed me.

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When my guard shift finally ended, I returned to my chambers.

My bed chamber was a large, ornate room in the center of the main hall of the Volturi. It was a gift from Aro.

For his _strongest_ child, he'd said. And with the words, he had sealed my destiny.

The other guards- the other vampires, refused to mingle. Their minds spun around the desire to tear my to shreds and drop a single burning match on my mangled body. The jealousy was more than tangent in every room.

Now, though, I was glad to be alone. It was all I asked not to have another nosy vampire in my business. It only increased my confusion if someone else knew.

_Carlisle Cullen._

The name rang through my brain once more. Could he really be the one?

Forever I had thought Aro was the one who had changed me. He had always referred to me as his 'strongest child' and therefore I'd let my ego expand.

My gift was, of course, intensely powerful. The ability to channel other vampire's powers through myself when within a mile of them was endlessly helpful.

If a group of vampires were standing in a room with me, I could use all their gifts- become the strongest of them all.

Why wouldn't I think Aro had changed me himself- made me his powerful child?

And now I would pay the price. To be shamed before everyone. My anger was directed solely to myself.

How could Aro know how high I held myself? How could he know he had shattered my entire world with a single name?

_His jolly laugh echoed through the silent, shimmering room. The last rays of sun were departing beneath the horizon. Red and orange danced into the room, a final tribute. _

"_Why, Bella! You are quite the funny one, dear." He chuckled. _

"_But...you did change me…didn't you Aro?" I was confused. Why was he laughing?_

"_No, no." Another chuckle escaped his pale lips, "Of course not dear. I've only changed a few in my lifetime."_

"_Then…who…did?" I tried to hide the anger, the disbelief, that was suddenly taking over. _

"_Carlisle Cullen." _

"Carlisle Cullen." I said the name aloud, trying it out. It was almost as if I were tasting it.

And suddenly, the decision was made. I would go find this Carlisle Cullen. I would find out how he had found me. I would finally know my legacy.

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**A/N: Still pretty short, right? REVIEW!**


	3. A Journey

**A/N: How exciting...Right now you're on the edge of your seat, right? Will Aro let her go? Will she find the Cullens? And where is Edward? Read on...  
**

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**Recaps: **And suddenly, the decision was made. I would go find this Carlisle Cullen. I would find out how he had found me. I would finally know my legacy.

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Packing was quite simple. I had little personal items, and food was of no importance. Humans were everywhere, of course.

I carried a tiny tote bag with a towel, a bar of soap, and two trousers and a shirt.

At first, I had thought of simply jumping out the window and running the entire way. But it was a waste of time, especially when Aro would find me right away.

Although I was bitter that he had laughed while he tore my world apart, I knew he had been my father for so long. I couldn't leave Aro without asking.

Just as I had slung the bag over my shoulder, slipped into a pair of sturdy running shoes, and was about to open the door, someone opened it first.

A tiny, pale figure draped in a black robe stood before me, her ruby eyes widening.

"Oh, Isabella, how wonderful to see you." Jane said formally. Her eyes scanned my clothing and narrowed. "Going somewhere?" she asked in her high, condescending voice.

I blinked at her innocently, tucking my tote behind my back. It was too late though, she'd already seen. Her angelic features twisted into a malevolent grin.

"Does Aro know?" she purred.

I matched her smile. "I was just going to tell him. Would you care to join me?"

The frown that marred her features seemed etched in. Her glared was burning. "No, thank you."

Her cloak swished behind her, a curtain of darkness clashing with her beauty, as she swept away.

I smiled to myself as I wandered to the main room Aro always seemed to be in. Jane was particularly angry with me all the time, because I was immune to her torture.

I dilled and dallied, trying to postpone the moment when I would be turned down by Aro.

How could I have thought he would give me permission? I was the most important guard. He could hardly let me walk out the door without knowing when I would be needed back again.

Which was exactly what he said.

"You are my most important guard, Bella. I can hardly let you walk out the door without knowing when you will be back again." Marcus and Caius nodded in agreement.

"Please, Aro, Marcus, Caius. I simply must know who is person is. I just…I just want to find where I began. Perhaps find a little more about myself. It will only take a few weeks. If you need me, I can take a phone, or…" The emotions were flooding me.

Even they could see it in my eyes- the longing. To know. To know my past.

"Yes." Aro finally sighed.

They gave me a tiny black cell phone. It only took calls from three people: Aro, Marcus, and Caius. And it couldn't make calls. I felt more powerful than ever before as my fingers grazed the smooth black plastic.

I _was_ important. I _was_ needed.

The knowledge made it even harder to leave. I stood in my room, gazing at the walls, the bed, the decorations, for the longest time. I walked to the window and looked out at the gates and the other spires of the castle.

I had been given a wonderful view. I had been taken care of. I didn't even need to hunt alone. It made me even more frightened. I had no experience in hunting at all.

Well, humans were easy to find and seduce. I shook the fears. It would be easy.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and walked all the way out into the night without opening them.

My senses took over everything. I could smell the sweet blood of the few humans that still wandered around the gates. I could feel them around me, the heat radiating from their bodies- so alive.

My thirst was already quenched, though. So I continued to move on. I only opened my eyes once I had reached the bottom of the winding hill that led to the Volturi castle.

The world was all darkness with little pricks of light everywhere. So was the sky. It was beautiful. I realized I'd had a very small view of the world outside the Volturi walls. I hadn't had a need to leave them.

Once I reached the airport, I dug through the bag for the small, silvery card Aro had given me. A credit card with which to buy the tickets.

And a passport with my photo in it. I wondered if Aro had these for everyone of his guards, in case they had to go on a mission.

I bought a one-way ticket to Forks, Washington. The flight left immediately- obviously I was having good luck.

I sat in a first-class seat, facing the window and refusing the perky waitresses, for a very long time. Volterra was a beautiful city. My dead heart was crushing with homesickness already. I would make it quick, I decided. There was no need to dawdle with a family of strange, alien vampires.

It had been hard to convince Vincent, the vampire with the power to pinpoint others, to help me. I finally had to bribe him with a promise to train him in certain battle techniques I had been taught, and he hadn't.

Forks, Washington. It sounded like a violent name for a city. Or an eating utensil…

The plane took off with a rumble.

_Carlisle Cullen_ echoed in my head one last time as we took flight.

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**A/N: REVIEW. I need at least 21 before I update again. Is that asking too much? If you haven't reviewed yet, go back to the last chapter and review. Now.**  



	4. A Family

**A/N: Wow! This is going up much quicker than I expected it to! I mean, all the reviews I asked for, and more, in less than Twenty Four hours! **

**THANK YOU!**

**SunsetofDusk: Yes, Bella does drink human blood. I know, terrible, but she had no human memories, was raised by the Volturi…it was unavoidable. **

**and to a few others: I hope in this chapter her explanation of her life in Volterra helps anyone out a little more.**

**And Enjoy!  
**

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**Recaps:** _Carlisle Cullen_ echoed in my head one last time as we took flight.

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The flight was long and boring. I watched the sun rise until we were in New York City. I'd heard about it. They called it the Big Apple of the United States.

Suddenly, my head felt like it was going to explode. I was in the United States. I'd never been this far away from home before. The news was frightening and elating at the same time.

I had to wait for the next flight. It took two hours for the plane to Washington to finally show up. It seemed they were having rain in Washington and it couldn't take flight. That was good for me, I decided. The less time staying hidden from the sun, the better.

I'd never lived out of the sun though. I hadn't been outside much, except sometimes in the dark, because Volterra was so sunny. It was the perfectly worst place for the vampire capital to be.

While I sat there on the hard bench, waiting for my flight, I thought about this Carlisle Cullen.

What would he be like? Perhaps he was someone I could get along with. Perhaps we could discuss things and get to know each other. Already I was placing an image to the face. The typical tall, dark, and handsome vampire; though I'd met many of those and all were distasteful.

A little human boy, around five or six years, stood in front of me with his mother. He turned to me and was mesmerized by my looks.

I'd seen that look many times, but not enough for me to get tired of it. I shifted a lock of mahogany hair behind my ear and smiled widely.

My teeth glinted. The boy clutched his mother's hand. My flight was called.

I stood up and swept away, holding my tote tight to my chest. It felt hollow. The boy had been afraid of me.

I shook it from my mind. Why did I care anyway? He was a silly little five-year-old boy who probably slept with a stuffed animal.

At least he slept…I had nothing to do on the flight, seemingly even longer than the last.

The sky was starting to darken when the plane touched down in Seattle.

That was good for me, though the rain certainly looked wet. I grimaced at the thought of having to run a three hour drive through it.

But my frown turned to a smirk when I saw the flashy black Porsche. It was sitting in the airport parking lot, where they kept their own rental cars. It seemed to call my name.

I had never said leaving Volterra meant I would live an honest life. And it wasn't as if anyone would lose a ride and be stranded. Obviously the car wasn't being used yet…

It drove as smoothly as I'd imagined. The entire car was filled with the smell of new leather. No humans had driven it long yet. The only sound was the little _tip tap_ of the rain spattering the windows and the purr of the engine.

The world around me was a blur. I swiveled through the other cars, carefully dodging them. They drove so slowly. If only they could see the world through the eyes of a vampire- all sharp and clear.

I ditched the car outside the first shop I saw after the "Entering Port Angeles" sign. It was only an hour more drive, and very simple to run.

I slipped into the forest. It was very dark, but much easier on the eyes. The scent of pine was strong. It drifted up my nostrils endlessly as I ghosted through the forests one by one.

With a half hour to go until I reached Forks, I felt the presence of the other vampires. I was nearing them quickly. By now they had probably felt my own presence as well, I was sure. I wondered if Carlisle Cullen could feel that it was a familiar presence.

I certainly felt a little tug in my stomach, though it might have been from nerves.

As I reached the outskirts of Forks, I felt a pang and dropped to my knees under the shade of a large maple tree.

It was the familiar pang of a new power. A few new powers, it seemed. I couldn't quite identify them, but my body was quickly adapting to their entry.

I began to walk, slowly. I tried to identify the powers. A car zoomed by to my left-

_Why is Billy always so annoying whenever we pass there? It's just a stupid forest…_

I felt the corners of my mouth turn up. A mind reader… and a no-contact one as well. Aro would be jealous.

Physical powers were harder to note, but I could tell there was a very strong vampire in the coven. I felt lighter, my body taking the super strength and able to carry its own weight even better.

I sighed. This forest was so beautiful. Perhaps it wouldn't be so terrible after all.

And then I saw the house.

It was large, and seemed to be all glass. At least this wall was. The entire back of the house was glass, I realized, as I walked around it to the front door. It looked very friendly, though it was extremely dark inside.

I knocked on the door, feeling the smooth wood under my hand. The house was obviously taken care of very well.

A light flicked on outside the garage and I saw a silvery Volvo in the drive. Then the door opened to reveal a suddenly brightly lit entry.

"Hello, welcome." A slight woman with short caramel curls smiled warmly and led me inside.

_The poor dear looks so frightened…_ her mind was a whisper in my own. I quickly pushed the thoughts away, turning off the power.

I'd always found it endlessly rude when Aro delved into the deepest, most personal thoughts of a visitor with only the slightest stroke of a finger.

She led me to a room in the back of the house, which was just as large inside as it was out. The lights were now turned on, illuminating the furniture and dazzling decorations.

We entered an open room with a number of comfortable-looking couches. The entire back wall was made of glass, obviously part of the south wall I'd seen.

The vampires were spread across the room. All eyes were on me. I watched my feet as I headed to the only available seat.

They were tense, afraid of the color of my eyes. Their own eyes were alien to me; unnatural.

They followed my every move until I finally plopped down, not very gracefully for a vampire, as far away as the couch would let beside a tall, lean, bronze-haired male.

"I am Carlisle Cullen, and this is my coven:" A tall, older blond male spoke from a seat beside the woman, who was his mate.

So this was the _Carlisle Cullen_ who had changed me. My gaze was attached to him. He seemed…kind, I deduced.

"Jasper, Emmett…" he pointed to two sturdy males on the love-seat beside himself, "Alice, Rosalie," two beautiful females, quite the opposites of each other, "Edward," His hand passed over me to the bronze-haired boy beside me.

Every vampire to this point had given me a simple, unemotional, nod. But when my eyes met Edward, an unfathomable expression in them, his topaz and mine ruby, I felt an electric current pass through me. It was indescribable and the feeling only lasted a moment. I blamed it on the tiresome journey.

"…and Esme." Carlisle finished.

"My named is Isabella Swan, but I prefer to be called Bella." Carlisle nodded, his eyes smiling. Perhaps he had recognized me…

"Where are you from, Bella?" Esme asked.

"Well, I came here to find that out. You see…" I shifted closer, placing my elbows on my knees and resting my chin on my cupped hands. "Until two days ago, I was an infamous guard of the Volturi…"

The vampires stiffened visibly.

"I was placed in the most important, vital parts of the Volturi homes, and many times over the protection of Aro himself." I continued, trying to keep the emotions from my voice, "Forever, I had thought it was Aro who had changed me. But he quickly swatted away those thoughts," a bitter laugh escaped me, "He said I'd been changed by someone named Carlisle Cullen."

Carlisle's eyes widened.

"…and I suppose, it's time I found my true past." I concluded, gazing directly at the leader.

Carlisle let out a quick puff of air and then his mouth quirked up into a handsome grin. "Isabella…" he said warmly, "I certainly did change you, and I sincerely hope you do not regret-"

"What?!" The blonde vampire suddenly screeched, hopping out of her seat. She tossed a handful of silky hair behind a shoulder and glared at me with venom. "You never told us about…how could you have kept something so…I can't _believe_ it!"

How could she be talking to her leader this way, especially in front of company. But something about the way Carlisle continued to smile told me that this coven wasn't quite as strict as others.

"Rosalie, please." Carlisle motioned for her to sit. She obeyed. "I changed Bella almost twenty years before I changed Edward, but with the great joy and…I'd almost forgotten about her." He shot me an apologetic look.

"Why did you…?" I left the ending blank, there were so many things I wanted to know now.

"I changed you because you'd fallen off a cliff."

I think I gasped, and there must have been a terrible look of horror on my face, because Esme was there in a flash, her arms around me comfortingly. It felt so warm. I couldn't remember being hugged like this for so long.

She finally pulled away, but there was lingering warmth in my heart.

She sat between Edward and me, a hand on my shoulder. "I jumped off a cliff too, you know." She nodded.

It was a horrible thing to say, but she said it with such surety. She had come to terms with her death, it seemed. And now it was my turn…

"Esme dear, Bella didn't _jump_ off a cliff, she…she _fell_." Carlisle corrected.

"As in, by accident?" Alice, the small pixie-like vampire, stared between Carlisle and I with wide eyes. "How is that possible?"

So unfortunate, she could see the future and not the past. How useful a gift past-seeing would be. I could simply look into my own…

"Clumsy…" I whispered, almost to myself.

Every eye turned to me.

"Sorry, dear?" Esme's warm eyes were confused.

"Err, I've always…never been as _graceful_ as most vampires. I suppose it must've been something that could hardly be fixed from my human life." I shrugged.

"Yes. It was near Volterra, actually. Somewhere in Europe, though I can't pinpoint the exact location. I'd smelled the blood. I was out hunting and the scent passed me. Luckily, by that time I had mostly perfected my resistance, and was therefore unaffected, but I rushed to the area and found…you."

While Carlisle spoke, the images were passing through my mind from his: a forest filled with lush green leaves, the scent of blood in the air, Carlisle tracking it to the bottom of an enormous cliff…a mangled, broken body, the blood quickly pouring out from a terrifying wound on the leg.

I shuddered. Esme squeezed my shoulder.

"How did I…fall, do you know?"

"No, Bella. I believe, though, that you were perhaps…too close to the edge and the wind was blowing quite fiercely." Carlisle wore a sympathetic smile.

I looked away. I didn't need anyone's sympathy. I'd known I was dead for a long time, indeed. Then another question popped into my head.

"How did I end up in Volterra?"

Carlisle shook his head, and so did Edward, simultaneously actually.

"The Volturi guards have many powers." Edward spoke. His voice was musical, and a shock to my ears. I hadn't heard him speak yet. I stared.

He seemed to take my stare for confusion because he elaborated, though the expression of frustration was still fresh on his face. "One of the guards has the power to feel new vampires nearby."

"How…? He would be _extremely_ important then, wouldn't he?" It was a shock to me. I'd never seen or heard of this guard.

Carlisle took over again."Quite a few have that power, actually. It's just a keen human sense that passes on. But they would have sensed it anyway. It's easier to sense a new vampire. And I'm friendly with Aro and the others. They would have known I was in the area. They called me to meet with them, and naturally I could not leave you alone. It was only a few days after you had changed completely."

"So you took me with you, they found out what my power was, and they kept me?" I felt anger spreading through me. How could Carlisle have just given up his new fledgling like that?

"No. I did not willingly give you away to them. You were still so confused about what you had become and they said they could explain it to you, have someone watch over you and teach you everything. They'd done it many times before and you were just another. They offered, and it is simply impossible to refuse the Volturi."

I nodded. That was something I knew.

"I mourned for the loss of my first-turned for quite a while, though when I turned Edward, and soon after Esme, it was hard to feel upset." Carlisle finished.

We continued to discuss the Volturi and their powers and a variety of topics, when it landed out our powers.

"Carlisle," A honey-haired male started. A shock passed through me- an empath! I'd been so preoccupied I'd hardly noticed another power in the room. That explained how I'd managed to stay calm through most of the ordeal. "You said the Volturi wanted Isabella for her powers…"

"Bella." I corrected automatically. I was surprised to hear another velvety voice echoing mine. Once again, I was met with a pair of golden eyes; Edward's.

"The Volturi wanted _Bella_ for her powers. How powerful did they think it was?" Jasper finished.

"Actually, they never told me what Bella's power was." Carlisle turned to me. Each pair of eyes was questioning.

"I can…well, it depends on who I'm nearby. My power is to channel any vampire's power from a mile away; along with being able to block them, that is." What they probably didn't comprehend was that, without a vampire close at hand, I was utterly powerless.

Their eyebrows went up, up, up…

"That certainly is impressive." Carlisle said.

"So you can use all our powers?" The dark haired one asked, Emmett.

I nodded cautiously.

"Cool!" He high-fived the empath.

I felt myself smiling. So they weren't jealous or angry. Maybe this strange coven was better than my own.

"Does that mean you can read our minds?" Rosalie, the blonde bombshell, asked, her eyes narrowing.

She looked uncannily like Jane.

"I prefer not to read minds. Living with Aro for over a century shows you it cannot always be good. And it seems so rude."

I heard a cough to my right and peered around Esme to see a sheepish Edward.

"…In…my…opinion?" I added stupidly.

They laughed.

"Does that mean you can read the future too?" The pixie-like vampire wondered.

"I suppose so. But I never actually get to use all the powers because it takes so long to understand how they work. It's also very dangerous, if I can't identify what power I have and suddenly I become angry and flame comes out of my palm. Or if I…glare at someone and they start writhing on the floor."

Another reason to stay as far away from Jane as possible... The vampires seemed to understand what I meant.

"Would you like to stay with us for a little while?" Carlisle asked.

I nodded, "Please, if you don't mind. Only for a little while."

"It's no problem at all, Alice?" He nodded at the black-haired girl.

She hopped up and smiled, grabbing my hand and tugging me along up the stairs and into the hall.

So now I could see the family I could have been a part of, but never was…

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**A/N: Yaay! I'm so relieved to have all the questioning and introductions part over with. It's so nervous-making! I feel like ** _I'm_ **the one who's leaving my entire life behind to go on a journey and meet a family who may, or may not, like me and then answer every one of their questions and have my dreadfully angsty life explained to me in front of said family who obviously lives in very good conditions. **

**And for those of you who felt like skipping the SIX PAGES OF WORD DOCUMENT up there, that's a summary for you. **

**phew. **

**That's right. It was SIX PAGES of Word Document. I went a little overboard, but I feel so bad when I have you at Cliffies. **

**Though I'll give you one now. Next chapter starts the legacy of Bella and her Edward and... and unexpected visitor. More Cliff hangers to come...**

**REVIEW! **


	5. A Decision

**Disclaimer:** I kept forgetting to put this up,  
But now I'll finally do it, yup.  
Obviously I'm not the super Stephenie Meyer,  
If I said I was I'd be a liar.  
Just so you know,  
I own the plot,  
You can share it…  
NOT!  
And I doubt you'd steal this disclaimer,  
But if you did nothing could get lamer!  
Giavonni is O-U-T, _out_!

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**Recaps: **Alice hopped up and smiled, grabbing my hand and tugging me along up the stairs and into the hall.  
So now I could see the family I could have been a part of, but never was…

* * *

I took the longest shower I had in my entire life. In Volterra, my day consisted of a twenty hour guard duty. The other four hours were for meals, social exercises, and cleaning up.

Between all of this, I'd hardly had a relaxing life with enough time to sit down and take the longest, hottest shower until the entire bathroom was so thick with steam even I couldn't see through it.

I was tempted to stay in longer, when I realized the sun was beginning to go up and simultaneously there was a loud banging on my bathroom door.

Before I could say anything, the door swung open. I let out a shriek of protest, but luckily the strangely transparent sliding shower door was too fogged up to see through.

"It's okay, Bella, it's just me." Alice said. She let out a dainty cough. "What's with all the fog?"

A loud _whooshing_ noise entered the room as she turned on the exhaust and the fog began to dissipate.

"You could knock…" I wrapped a thick white towel around myself and held the edges tightly as I stepped out. The cool air hit my warmer, steam-covered body, making the temperatures clash. It felt strange.

"Well, I was just…around, and I saw that your bag was open." She avoided my eyes.

"It's useless lying, if Edward's in the house I can read your mind." I reminded her.

She flashed a cheeky grin. "Good thing Edward's not in the house. Anyway," she continued before I could protest, dragging me into the bedroom and bouncing onto the bed, "_goodness_! I couldn't believe the clothes you had. I thought you were a guard of the Volturi, one of the elite! And the clothing they gave you…" she shuddered.

"Alice!" She'd laid the few clothes I'd brought across my bed. There's nothing wrong with them, I thought indignantly.

One plain tan t-shirt, made with an extremely light material and very easy to run in. The pair of athletic shorts I'd come in along with a wrinkled white tee, and two pairs of beige dress pants.

"What's wrong with them?" I wondered, examining the clothing. My fingers brushed the thin fabric. It was the best made clothing for battling.

"Nothing, really, but they're all so _plain_." Alice grimaced.

"And thin; perfect for moving quickly." I pointed out.

"What about Volturi parties? I heard they had those a lot."

I took a quick peak into her mind to see what this was about, but was met with nothing. Aah, yes. The mind reader wasn't home.

I wondered where he went. Apparently the empath was home because I could feel _loneliness _rolling off her in drowning waves.

"Well, first Alice, I was a _guard_ in the Volturi. So if all the most _elite_ vampires were gathering together, naturally they'd want a good variety of guards. And why have a guard wear a dress, when they could play up the fright by making us wear battle gear?"

Before Alice could answer, I continued, "And I hate getting dressed up, but I agree, if I'm going to stay here, I might as well get a few new clothes, though Aro didn't say it was part of his deal to let me use more money than necessary, in which case we'll be shopping for sales."

Alice scrunched her nose up. "Bella, don't be silly! I'll pay for everything, now let's go."

And for the next four hours, from 8 AM to noon we went to every store in the mall. It was tiresome, and even as a vampire I was feeling it.

Unfortunately, our fun was cut short, when Alice parked the glittering red convertible in the driveway and an angry Rosalie came outside.

Her glare was directed mostly to me, though it flickered to Alice, too.

"Alice, did I _say_ you could take my car out?!" I could hear her teeth grinding.

"Err…" Alice shot me a desperate look, "No…?"

"Exactly, and what do I find when I come outside to work on my car?" she didn't let anyone answer, "Nothing! That's right! My precious car was gone, and I was so worried. I sat here for three hours waiting…."

Rosalie continued her rant, her gaze now fixed only on Alice, who clung to the steering wheel with frightened eyes, sinking into the brash leather seats.

I grabbed the ten shopping bags that were mine, squeezed Alice's hand reassuringly, and hightailed it out of there before Rosalie could realize I was gone.

I continued to glance over my shoulder as I ran into the house, afraid that Rosalie was running after me with a pick-ax.

Unfortunately, my fears and natural clumsiness led to me bumping into someone.

The bags stayed attached to my arms, luckily, though they yanked me down. I ended up lying on the floor staring into the handsome topaz eyes of Edward Cullen.

He was standing. He blinked down at me before a smile lifted the corners of his mouth. His eyes were still shadowed though.

He held out a hand and I took it gratefully. I stood and suddenly I was closer to him than I had planned, our breath almost mingling if I was breathing.

His brow furrowed.

_Why can't I read her mind?_

His thoughts came to me unconsciously.

"Didn't you hear last night? Part of my gift is to block other's powers." I told him.

He stared at me with wide eyes. Suddenly, I realized I'd answered his mind instead of his voice.

"I'm sorry…!" I sputtered, "Your power…it just came to me…and I didn't realize I was using it…I'm sorry!"

He chuckled silently. His laughter was enchanting.

"It's alright, really. Now I know how everyone always feels." We smiled at each other for a moment, before he rather rudely added, "You really are clumsy."

My mouth fell open before I narrowed my eyes at him and gathered my bags around my chest. "Excuse _me_." I brushed past him and up the stairs. I was in my room before he could say a word.

For the next hour I lay in bed with my mind spinning over the thoughts of Edward. I simply couldn't get him out of my head. It was impossible. I'd never had a real relationship with anyone before.

I'd felt some sort of physical attraction to other vampires sometimes, but it was hardly anything serious, they were all so beautiful you could never fully become used to them.

Even I…

I paused and walked to the full length mirror in the corner of the room, staring at my reflection.

The jeans Alice had forced me into before we went shopping were a little too tight. We were hardly the same size, and these were definitely hers. The shirt seemed a little snug as well, not my usual style.

I had quite long legs, at least with the mirror at this angle; it seemed three quarters of my body was legs. And the rest?

Curvy torso, cinched waist, thin arms, no extra flab, symmetrical features, full pink lips, pale face, waist-length mahogany hair, long black lashes, and what always gave me a tiny jump… blood-red eyes.

Although with the face in the mirror, I could become a full time narcissist if I stared too long.

A knock at the door woke me from my contemplation.

It was Jasper, the affinity.

"Carlisle called a small meeting. He'd be glad if you would join."

His power was swimming into me. It was so much harder to resist using the power when the channel was so close.

He was feeling restrained. Restrained…that was a strange feeling. I pushed it aside and followed him downstairs. This time they were sitting in a big empty space with a grand piano.

Edward sat at the piano. Was this a family concert or something of that sort?

I glanced around curiously.

"Bella, have a seat, if you will." Carlisle motioned for me to sit anywhere. I picked the floor beside the piano bench.

I could feel Edward's gaze on the top of my head as Carlisle began to speak.

"I will get right to the point so you all may return to your _activities_," he shot a look at Rosalie and Emmett, "I realize we may have some differences when it comes to eating habits."

I felt myself stiffen. Of course, I'd been curious about this. I heard there were a few covens that fed from _animals_, but I could hardly do that.

"We ask that you please refrain from feeding in this immediate area." Carlisle finished, looking at me expectantly.

"I…what do _you_ feed from?" I wanted this confirmed myself.

"Animals." Emmett answered, proudly.

I cocked my head. "Are they…?" _Good_, I wanted to say. But it made me sound vulgar. They understood my basic meaning.

"They're not exactly fulfilling, but they're enough to keep you from jumping any humans." Edward answered.

Emmett snickered. They glared at each other.

I bit my lip. "Could you…show me…how to hunt…_animals_?"

They all became visibly happier.

"Of course, dear. It's not hard at all!" Esme seemed very excited about this.

I wondered if Aro would think I was 'weak' because I was 'changing our natural ways'. I decided it didn't matter. One thing Aro could hardly control were my eating habits.

* * *

**A/N: Yaay! Another chapter! Okay, now I'm asking for more REVIEWS! Why? Because reviews make me write. And I promise, if you review, you'll get a much LONGER chapter next time winkwink. **

**And for anyone who hasn't reviewed the rest of the story, please go back and do. Even if you just wanna say 'hi'. **

**R E V I E W ! **


	6. A Meal

**A/N: So, some questions to answer:**

**When Bella receives a new power, it's not a pang of **_**pain**_** she feels, but more of recognition. **

**And**

**No, Bella's NOT a vegetarian like the Cullens initially, but at the end of the last chapter she decided to give it a try. **

**Anyway, Enjoy!**

* * *

**Recaps:** I wondered if Aro would think I was 'weak' because I was 'changing our natural ways'. I decided it didn't matter. One thing Aro could hardly control were my eating habits.

* * *

I returned to my room after the 'family meeting.' I'd never had an actual family before. At least, we had never been referred to as a family.

In Volterra, many of the guards were split up depending on their strengths, weaknesses, powers, and where they mostly worked.

I was part of a select group of guards who spent most times guarding entrances to the Volturi home and Aro, Marcus, and Caius. My coven loathed me. Although vampires claimed they were too good for petty human emotions, my entire coven was more jealous than they needed to be at my status as one of the top guards.

My life was hardly enviable, though.

And here I was, one of those vampires who'd always thought I did not need the silly human emotions, being shown up by myself.

There was worry that I wouldn't be able to hunt. There was angst every time I thought of my 'perfect' life in Volterra. Dread that I'd have to go back there again. And then the strange fluttering whenever I thought of a certain male listening to music just down the hall from me.

I had to restrain myself from peeking into his mind to see what he was thinking about.

I was more than happy when I heard the quiet knock on my door. Once again, Alice slid inside without waiting for my response; annoying seers.

"Bella, you don't know how happy I am that you're going to try to live our lifestyle." Alice started, sitting beside me and taking my hand before I could get a word in.

I blinked at her, confused.

"I promise it won't be hard. And I won't let anything happen to you, not that anything can, of course." And then, before I could ask one question, she had dropped my hand, slid off the bed, and left the room with lithe, graceful steps.

I blinked at the closing door.

Right as I was about to lay back down, there was another knock.

I sighed. "Come in…?"

To my great surprise, Jasper opened the door and stepped inside, closing it cautiously behind him.

My brow furrowed. "To what do I owe this visit?"

He smirked, "Alice was just here."

"Very observant." I teased, and then frowned. "Do you know what she meant? Did she have a vision of something happening while we were hunting? Something bad…?"

"No. Well, I wouldn't know. Normally she tells me, unless it's something terrible." He frowned as well. "But for my entire life as a vampire, I drank from humans, until recently when I met Alice."

His eyes were glazed over. "Love can do strange things…" he all but whispered. Then he shook his head. "Just keep trying. It's hard to resist when you've been drinking from humans all your life, but if you have a good reason not to, then it makes it much easier. I do it for Alice, for example."

He shot me a look that I didn't understand. I frowned at his back as he stood up and left. Right as he reached the door he turned to me with a smile.

"Edward really likes you, you know." And with that he was gone.

Yeah right, I thought, flopping back on the bed and placing a pillow over my eyes to drown out the light.

Why would someone as perfect as Edward like _me_? And he thought I was clumsy. And I ran into him! I groaned.

"It's completely impossible." I said out loud.

That night, around midnight, I went on my first hunt.

They decided to try something small somewhere close by. There was a forest right beside the Cullen's where I could smell the faint odor of animal blood. The sweetest of these was a deer, which was what they told me I'd be hunting.

Though none of these were remotely as delicious scents as human blood, the humans were quite a distance away, and I wasn't quite as thirsty as I normally was.

Carlisle insisted I feed regularly though, whether I was a little hungry or a lot. I'd shrugged, glancing at my eyes in the window while we left. They were black on the edges with a tiny ring of red left outside the pupil. I shuddered.

Perhaps golden eyes wouldn't be quite so…frightening.

We stood in a clearing in the center of the forest. Carlisle hadn't come, so Emmett felt it was his duty to take over.

"Just close your eyes and let it all out." He coached.

I raised an eyebrow. Let it all out?

"No, no, Emmett, be quiet!" Dainty little Alice smacked him on the shoulder. Emmett winced. I laughed. "Don't listen to him Bella. Do you smell the animals?"

I half-closed my eyes and focused on the smells. I could smell a small animal not far from here. And a little ways over was a slightly larger one. I nodded.

"Well," Alice continued, "Follow the scent. It's like tracking, but once you get there, and the scent of the blood becomes stronger, just give in."

I cocked my head, Give in?

"With animals, it's easier if you get a stronger smell of the blood," Edward broke in. I reluctantly directed my gaze to him, staring just over his shoulder. "Break the animal's neck, especially if it's large. Just try it, first."

I nodded. It was making a little more sense. With human blood, they were so frail, so easy to break. I hardly noticed what I was doing once Aro had slaughtered his human; the scent was so strong everyone else gave in.

"Okay…" I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. And then I was running through the forest, the only indication the swift brush of wind against my cheek, pushing my hair back from my face.

I stopped behind a tree, one hand resting on the bark, the other poised in a claw, sharp finger arched. I could smell the deer, its sweet blood running hot through its veins.

It was just a little farther eating plants; a sitting duck.

I crouched, my muscles tightening. I was ready to spring. And then I dove. I landed right in front of the deer. My hands lashed out, closing on its neck.

A little crack rang out into the quiet night, and then the deer was limp in my hands, its blood gushing out onto my palms.

I placed my lips on its neck. The blood was still warm, past my lips and down my throat. I drank heavily, as if parched for a lifetime.

Then the animal's heart stopped. I dropped its lifeless body and licked my palms clean.

I heard a crack behind me and spun around, my hungry eyes wide. It was Edward.

He stood there for an immeasurable amount of time, just staring into my eyes with a sad frown on his face.

Then he moved closer and knelt beside me. I watched him run his hands down the back of the withering animal.

"Does it make you sad?" he asked quietly. I was surprised at the sadness in his own voice.

I shook my head quickly. "No."

"Why not?" his brow was furrowed again.

"I'm sure I ate venison in my human life. It's a cycle. The deer would have died in some other way, but isn't it better than killing humans?" If I killed humans, how could he expect me to sob over the life of a simple animal? Although suddenly I was feeling guilt coursing hot through my veins. The animal's blood was on my hands and in my body. It was burning me.

"I apologize. I shouldn't expect everyone to feel the same." Edward said formally. He stood up, lifted a tree right out of the ground, dropped the deer under it, and pushed it back in. "You need to learn the proper way to dispose of a carcass. We're the only ones who live in this forest so it would seem quite rude if there were bones everywhere."

I nodded.

"You know," I started as we walked back to the house- human pace, "I never heard your life story, though I'm sure you heard mine."

He deliberated for a moment. "I can't remember my life very well. My father was a lawyer or a business man. My mother…" he sighed, looking ahead. "We all caught the Spanish Influenza. I was seventeen at the time and dying quickly. Carlisle was a doctor at the hospital and he treated my entire family."

Just as it had with Carlisle, the memories started flooding my mind: a beautiful woman lying pale and weak on a hospital bed, her vivid green eyes quite alive, nurturing her son, a human Edward who looked just as weak, a blonde doctor, beautiful, angular, unimaginable; a fantasy creature.

"…then he changed me." Edward said, his memories matching his words. I blinked away the rest of his private thoughts and reached my hand out to him, but there was a crack behind us and we both spun around.

"Emmett." Edward growled. I laughed and ran back to the house alone, leaving them to fight by themselves.

The next two weeks passed comfortably. There were many more shopping trips, and Rosalie avoided me as much as she could. I refrained from taking a look inside her mind, because if she ever found out she'd be even angrier.

One thing I couldn't control was using Jasper's empathy and though it was accidental, I soon found out she suffered from severe jealousy…of me.

It was quite confusing at first that I'd suddenly feel a sudden burst of envy course through me whenever we crossed paths, but I soon understood what was happening. The only question left in my mind now was _why_ she was jealous.

I hoped we'd cross that border eventually.

I barely saw Carlisle because he was at the hospital. Esme was so kind and motherly, though she was also busy many times, fixing the house up every now and then.

I didn't speak to Edward much, but I had Alice to thank for that.

"Bella!" Alice's conversational voice could be heard all the way from my room. I sighed and slid off my bed, where I'd been contemplating a strange magazine that revealed certain secrets about certain people.

_People_, the cover said, in large, block letters.

"Yes Alice?" I asked before I'd even fully left my room.

"We're going shopping." She clarified.

"And you had a vision…?" I wondered at her certainty.

"No, silly. You would've had one as well! But I just felt that…we haven't had much bonding time…and…" her honey eyes widened in innocence.

It was a lie. The entire time I'd been staying with the Cullen family, I'd spent three quarters of with Alice. She took me shopping almost every other day, though the closet was now so full the door wouldn't close, and I probably owed their family well over $5,000.

"Actually," Carlisle, surprisingly, walked into the room. It was around nine in the evening, so it was strange that he was home so early, "I thought, it would probably be good if you hunted. Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper went yesterday, so you and Edward can take Bella today."

"What about you and Esme?" I wondered.

"Don't worry about us, dear." Esme said. My mouth fell open. She was looking stunning in a knee length black dress. It was simple, but strapless with a cute white jacket over top.

"You look lovely, Esme." Alice winked at her. Esme looked down sheepishly.

It was then that I noticed Carlisle was also wearing different clothes than his usual hospital wear: black pants and a crisp white button down shirt.

"Ooooh," It dawned on me. "You're going-"

"Don't get in too much trouble, please." Carlisle cut in. And then he and Esme were out the door, the purr of their Vanquish the only sounds of escape.

There was a brief pause where Alice and I stood across from each other in the foyer and grinned happily. Then Edward came down the stairs.

I blinked. His entrance always made my dead heart speed up.

"Alice, could you tell them we're leaving now?" he asked softly.

Then Alice was gone, and suddenly he was leaning toward me, his eyes questioning. My breath caught…

* * *

**A/N:** **Allow me to give you a very _cryptic _response, "Some things may not be as they seem..."**

**Okay, and now...I wasn't able to finish this as quickly as I would have liked because I spent the better part of my usual writing time reading something gross. **

**I'm sure many of you have read that "How to write a Twilight Fanfic Better" and possibly even agree with it. And I'm here with you on that. I agree with many of the topics that person set down for us: Pregnant vampires, overly stupid Emmett, Edward leaving constantly, 'Pimp and Prep', etc. **

**But I've written some pretty stupid stuff too. That's how people learn. You write bad stuff, people give you bad reviews, you learn from your mistakes. Pretty simple. But no one needs their flaws shoved in their faces. **

**What I really don't like about this 'Fanfiction' is that the person who wrote it has yet to write any Twilight FanFiction and if they have anything to criticize, they can go straight to a fanfic and flame away. **

**There are so many things I'd like to say, but I've still got another chapter to finish, just for you.**

**Feel free to give me your opinions on the above topic. **

**And please, enlarge my ego by sending many REVIEWS!**

**I am endlessly thankful to those of you who sent me those long, long, LONG reviews. Thank You! You're the ones who spur me on to write more!**

**R E V I E W ! **


	7. A Mistake

**A/N: I hate Karma. Enjoy!  
**

* * *

**Recaps: **Then Alice was gone, and suddenly he was leaning toward me, his eyes questioning. My breath caught…

* * *

Edward's perfect face was inching closer. My eyes glazed over as they slid from his golden orbs down one side of his soft cheek, to his perfect nose and rested on his full lips, parted slightly. 

His sweet breath caressed my face. I let out a small breath of air, almost a whimper.  
His face stopped just an inch from mine; his eyes narrowed and fixed on my own. And then…

"Carlisle was right," he spoke, "Your eyes are getting darker."

My mouth almost fell open, but I kept myself in check and nodded uninterestedly.

What else had I expected? But in the back of my mind where I couldn't lie to myself, I'd wanted him to kiss me. I hid my slightly trembling hands behind my back.

How very foolish of me.

"They're a strange color, aren't they?" he cocked his head as he stared into my eyes.

I looked away, up the stairs and wishing Alice would hurry.

He was right though, the human blood and the animal blood turned my eyes a strange shade of orange…or copper, really. It was metallic, and even worse than the burgundy, in my opinion.

"You never did finish telling me your story." I changed the subject. If Alice wasn't going to hurry, we might as well keep out of deadly waters.

He frowned. "There was nothing more to say."

I raised my eyebrow, "If Carlisle bit me twenty years prior to you, wouldn't that mean you still had a little over a century as a vampire? I'm sure you've got stories to tell."

_It would be so embarrassing if she knew…those few years…_

Once again, I fought to keep his thoughts out, but my concentration was wavering. What few years? I gave in and let his mind pour into my own.

_Just a little longer…give them some time…_

_If Alice doesn't leave in the next…_

_Rose seems a little…_

I pushed the other minds away, they were just background noise. Then Edward's came, his velvety voice clear in my head.

_Those ten or so years. I couldn't possibly tell her about them…away from the family. I was so young, so naïve. _

His mind was just as evasive as he was.

"What did you do?" I asked.

He blinked at me, just as he had the last time.

"I mean…" I sighed, "Where were you for the ten years that you're too embarrassed to tell me about?"

His mouth fell open a smidge. I tried not to laugh.

"Please…?"

I glared at him, but his attention was focused on the perky vampire flying down the stairs.

"Okay Edward, Bella, are you ready to leave?" she gave me a sly wink as we left out the door. I grimaced at her back.

We were back in the Cullen's forest. It was just after twilight. The stars were sprinkling across the sky, now. It was beautiful.

"Well, I guess…Bella, you know what to do now, right?" Alice turned to me, a smile still plastered on her face.

I nodded, closing my eyes.

We all went in different directions, but the animals were scarce right now, just entering spring.

I ran for a long time, dodging trees, my nose catching small animals, but nothing worth hunting.

And then I smelled it.

The scent wafted through the air, thick and delicious. An open wound, it seemed, but nothing large, just something as small as a paper cut.

I couldn't control myself. I ran faster than I had before, my nose right on the trail of blood; human blood.

I was there in a matter of seconds. I hid behind a large tree, just on the edge of the forest. My nose was focused on just one scent, or I would have smelled all the different humans ahead.

There was a girl and a boy. All I could see of them was a head of brown curls and another of spiky blond hair. They stood up, and my eyes caught their every move. The boy was the one bleeding. He'd cut his hand on a rock, I could tell from his mind.

He wrapped a delicious arm around the girl's waist and they began to walk out of the trees. Away from me…

I moved out from behind the tree and was about to make a run for them, when two stone arms slithered around my waist, plucking me from the ground.

I flailed desperately. The blood, I needed the blood. The thick scent still wafted towards me. I was a few measly yards away; the sweet, delicious, warm blood. I could feel it sliding down my throat.

I heard a slow, keening noise; and a growl. I realized I was snapping at the arms. They were tugging me away, far away from the blood, but the scent was still fresh, I could still smell it.

I flipped the person over onto their back and sat on their stomach. It was Edward. He gazed at me with wide eyes, his surprise evident. And then, before I knew what was happening, he'd flipped me over.

All thoughts of blood were erased. I relaxed and he let out a sigh. The most delicious scent was, once again, poured over me. I breathed it in deeply, realizing how close we were. His body pressed up right against mine, flush.

And then, again…I realized how close we were. I wrapped my arms around his back and flipped us over once more before standing up. Oh how much I'd wanted to kiss him, but I had to resist temptation, or risk making myself look like a fool.

He seemed embarrassed, but it was nothing like the torture I felt. I turned, before he could utter a word, and ran back to the house.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

They could have easily broken down the door to my room. But that would have been rude, though I doubted by the third day Alice was even considering the idea of being rude. Almost a million times a day she knocked on my door, yelling _very_ rude things through the keyhole.

I ignored them. They'd given me so much and I'd almost ruined everything. I was so silly; I couldn't even resist a little cut.

Then, one night while the entire family was out hunting, on the third night of my self-ostracizing, there was a knock at the door.

I turned my back to it and stared out the windows. The doorknob rattled, and just when I thought they'd give up, it was ripped right out of the door.

I gasped when the lean figure slipped inside. I was getting ready to lecture them about privacy when I saw who it was; Edward.

My words stuck in my throat.

"Look, Bella…" he sighed, sitting on the unneeded bed and patting the space beside him.

I slid off my seat cautiously and made my way over to sit beside him. I was subconsciously aware of the fact that our knees were touching.

He shifted a little. Then our knees _and_ thighs were touching.

"You probably feel terrible about what happened, but I can honestly say we have all been through it before. It was your first time with humans when you were thirsty and it was perfectly alright. I can say even Jasper, after all these years, still has trouble with keeping control."

I stared at the artfully ripped hole in my jeans, "I do; I feel terrible. I mean, I thought I'd given up that life. I thought I was changing for the better. And then, suddenly, I became a _monster_." A sigh ripped through me.

"It was the first. You'll learn, with time." Edward looked up, his topaz eyes connecting with my ebony ones.

We stared at each other, and slowly my dead-heart sped up. My breath stopped completely, and the air began to fill with warmth. My eyes were glued to his shimmering, golden irises.

He reached out a long, aristocratic hand, his fingers moving toward my face.

There was a loud crash downstairs.

"Emmett!" Esme shouted.

Edward let out a half sigh, half groan, and stood up. He avoided my eyes.

"We should probably see what happened."

I couldn't resist. "So you're just going to leave it at that?" He'd obviously felt it…the need…the want…the _heat_.

"Leave…err…what?" He breathed, as I came to stand in front of him.

I leaned closer, pooling all my courage not to run away and hide, and brushed my lips against his. I almost melted, but instead pulled away. "Fine."

I turned and walked out the door and down the stairs.

For the next few days, I avoided Edward completely. I was afraid I'd been too forward, but thanks to his previous encouragement, I apologized to the rest of the Cullens for behaving so rudely.

"Of course not, Bella dear." Esme said; motherly warmth in her smile. "We all make mistakes and yours is perfectly acceptable." She hugged me.

Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Carlisle, and even Rosalie joined in.

Alice, though I could tell she disapproved, helped me avoid Edward by scheduling shopping trips for 'missed time'.

I even got the courage to speak to Rosalie. The conversation was a little awkward, but it ended happily:

"Rosalie," I'd said, knocking on the door tentatively.

"Come in." she sighed.

I pushed the door open, hesitant, and stood in the doorway.

"Come _in_." she said again.

I cocked my head at her reflection in the mirror. She appeared to be brushing her hair, though it was really unneeded because her hair was always perfect, not a strand out of place.

"I'm sorry we might've gotten off on the wrong foot, but-"

"Have you been reading my mind?" Rosalie broke in.

I stared at her in shock.

"N-no, of course not!" I sputtered.

She turned around to assess me. And then she smiled, warmth flickering in her golden eyes. "Okay."

"So you're not…angry?" I wondered at her sudden change.

"No…before, I was…I'd always thought _we_ were Carlisle's family; that he had made us all for a reason. But if he'd made you first, it was different. I can't explain it. But I'm…sorry Bella. I didn't mean to come off so rudely." She held out her hand.

I ignored it and gave her a hug, instead. Now, the family was complete.

Alice gave me a huge grin on my way back to my room. I returned it, but a part of me was still upset over Edward. What would I do? I'd been too forward; it was completely out of character. What had possessed me to do such a thing!

I decided if I was going to find all this hidden courage, I might as well use it for something good. I stood up, changed out of sweats and into a pair of dark wash jeans with a black cardigan; and made my way to Edward's room.

I paused outside his door, my hand poised to knock, but my courage wavering.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the wait between this chapter and the last. I had it written out, but I couldn't decide whether to add more to it, or leave it at this. Then I decided that if I added more, I probably wouldn't find a good non-confusing place to stop, so it's here, but I'll post ASAP on the next one. **

**REVIEWS! Thanks so much for the REVIEWS! They were great REVIEWS! So go ahead and:**

**R E V I E W !**


	8. A Kiss

**A/N: Sorry, sorry, 10 x's sorry. I'll explain my absence after you read your long-awaited chapter. Don't hate. : ) **

* * *

**Recaps:** I paused outside his door, my hand poised to knock, but my courage wavering.

The door slid open before I could gather myself.

Edward stood in the doorway, watching me with curiously. I couldn't pull my eyes away from his.

It seemed to be forever that we stood there, my hand tucked into a fist, ready to knock on air, and his fluttering on the doorknob. The same electricity, the same heat, was beginning to form in the air again, wrapping us in it's bubble.

Then I heard a faint cough from behind me. My eyes flickered away from his face and I saw a tiny figure with spiky black hair dancing down the hall. I glared at Alice.

_Sorry, Bella, it's for your own good. Lovey Dovey birds, staring at each other like aliens,_ her mind spoke to my own.

I turned back to Edward, who was now regarding me warily. The spell had been broken.

"Sorry…were you…if you were… uhh… busy, I don't mean. You can go ahead- I didn't mean to interrupt anything you were doing…ifyouwantIcanjustleaveandcomebacklateroryoucouldcometomyroom…or something…?"

Edward chuckled, his golden eyes melting. I smiled back as well, relief flooding my body. He stepped aside and waved a hand toward his room. I slid past him, our bodies brushing as I did so, and into the darkened room.

"This…" I said, looking around in wonder, "seems like the place a _real_ vampire could stay."

Edward frowned at that. "Huh." He said.

I hoped I hadn't offended him, but he waved me over to the black leather sofa. I sat a safe distance away from him and stared out the window-walls I'd become so accustomed to lately.

The sun danced out from behind the trees and I glanced over to see Edward's skin shimmering beautifully. He seemed as entranced with my complexion as I was with his. I pulled my eyes away, afraid the electricity that continued to creep up would bring out the lion inside me I'd never known.

"Edward, I'm sorry for being so forward before and I really hope-"

He cut me off by placing his soft, icy lips against my own.

* * *

**A/N: Once again, please don't hate, and a THOUSAND time's sorry for not updating in FOREVER! Or so it seemed to me. **

**You see, my ipod and my beloved laptop had a complete meltdown. This computer has the most horrible internet connection, and on top of that I've been really busy working a summer job, which is over now, thank gosh. **

**But excuses are lame, so I'll stop giving them. I'm just going to say:**

**-----It may be a while before I update again. And not a long while, because my new (and utterly endlessly amazingly improved) laptop is due anytime in the next two or so weeks-----**

**Plus, I was a little confused with where this chapter was going to go, and I finally decided, so it's all good. **

**Anyway, again another sorry for the length. I know this chapter is ABSURDLY short, but it's all I could kick up in the limited time I have. this Author's Note seems to match up to about the same length, which is just how lame that is. **

**Now to go do some Summer Essay's. Wish me luck. **

**And once again, you will definitely be getting another..something, whether it's a chapter or a crapter. : )**

**Luv.  
**


	9. A Vision

**A/N: Okay! Well, the laptop is on hold right now because I'm much too lazy to go actually look at one in person and decide whether it's right for me, so I thought if I was going to make myself unhappy with my laziness, I might as well try to make someone happy by updating. And _voila_: **

* * *

**Recaps: **"Edward, I'm sorry for being so forward before and I really hope-"  
He cut me off by placing his soft, icy lips against my own.

* * *

They moved furiously against mine. His hands slithered down my arms and wrapped around my waist in a tight embrace while my own slid around his neck, deepening the kiss. 

I pulled away after what seemed like forever, my mouth still tingling. Our breath mingled, and we were both panting though neither of us required the air. The scent of his sweet venom drifted around me, and I was tempted to lean over and press my lips to his once again, but I couldn't get carried away.

His golden eyes held my onyx ones, and he seemed to be searching for something. I supposed he found it because a moment later he had me on his lap with a long finger twirling a loose curl, thoroughly at ease.

I leaned back into him with a sigh and his marble arms wrapped me in his embrace again.

"Edward…" I worried, my negative self-doubting thoughts creeping up again.

"Yes, Bella?" He asked softly, his lips at my ear.

I shivered with delight. "Are you sure we're not…are you…maybe we're… do you think we're going…_too fast_?" I whispered the last part, afraid of what he'd think.

Edward chuckled. "I don't," he paused, his tone serious, "but if you do…" his arms began to loosen their hold.

I grabbed on quickly and then flipped around in one lithe movement, now in his lap facing towards him.

He blinked.

"No, I was worried…" I traced the muscles of his forearm with butterfly fingers as I spoke, "I was worried you would regret it. You seemed not to want to speak to me earlier…" I looked into his eyes shyly.

They were liquid gold, soft and full of warmth. "Bella, Bella, Bella…" he pulled me close, his head resting on my shoulder, his breath caressing my ear again, "I was frightened that _you_ didn't want to speak to me. I was afraid you'd regretted your kiss; afraid it was a spur of the moment thing…"

I pulled away and stared at him. His eyes were truly sad. I grinned, "Things like that aren't spur of the moment…at least not for me. I don't know what came over me though, but it was definitely a…commitment?" The last word was a question, he was free to refuse, though I'd never overcome the humiliation.

Edward's lips covered my own again, but pulled away much too quickly. He gave me a soft smile, "Commitment." He murmured, leaning in again.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

I was afraid of what the family would think of me. To have come to their home to find out about my past, and then seduced a member of their coven. It seemed wrong, but at the same time, my…_love_ for Edward was so right.

Although I hadn't told him that yet; that I loved him. But from the moment I'd looked into his eyes for the first time- the very night I had arrived, I knew I loved him. Perhaps at first I'd been ignorant, but I knew…

I was much too frightened to tell him I loved him though. It would have been easier if I'd been able to know what he was thinking, but I would never do that. More specifically I would never read the mind of someone I loved…and I'd also promised him. It was only fair that if he was excluded from using his gift on me, I was excluded from using mine on him.

I had my first vision that night with Edward.

_We were sitting on his black leather sofa, wrapped in each other's arms and watching the stars through the large window. _

_It was all silent, except for the soft sound of Debussy in the background. It was music I'd never heard of, but instantly fell in love with. _

_I suppose I hadn't been concentrating enough on keeping the powers out. It was a type of hypothetical net inside me, catching the powers and keeping them locked up until they were needed. But sometimes a power slipped out without my knowledge, just like this…_

_The vision came suddenly. One moment I was in Edward's arms, stargazing, and the next moment I was watching a human man stand in front of an entire army and speak. All the people around me were humans as well, staring ahead as if they could give not a care in the world. I was sitting with them as well, and they continued to give me furtive glances every now and then, especially the males. _

_Then it ended._

There was a family meeting scheduled tonight, just twenty-four hours after the vision, to discuss it.

Alice grinned at me widely from her perch on the end of the piano. Edward glared when he saw where she was sitting. I wondered if it was Edward's piano. It certainly looked that way, but I'd never known he played.

When I looked back, she was sitting on the window sill with Jasper at her feet. She still smiled widely, raising her eyebrows. My own flickered up as well, what was she so happy about?

"So Bella," Carlisle started, once everyone had been seated, "This is just another quick meeting. Edward told me you had a vision last night."

I nodded.

"And it was about…" He prodded.

I explained my vision, half-confused.

"…I've never been anywhere like that before, except once in Volterra." I explained.

"Was it Volterra you were seeing?" He asked.

"No, no, that was a school for the guards, and everyone in the room in my vision was a human." I glanced at Alice, whose mouth was stretched to the breaking point. "Did Alice have a vision too?"

Everyone flicked their gazes to the exuberant pixie-vampire in the corner. She bounced up from her seat. "It's true! I had a vision, Bella! You're going to school!!!"

My eyes widened. "School…?" My thoughts were suddenly at the forest, the bloodlust I couldn't control, just a tiny cut even… I shook my head, shrinking. "No!"

Alice pouted, though the fire of determination simply sprouted in her eyes. "Don't worry Bella, you'll do fine. I promise. Jasper goes to school too!" She ruffled her husbands hair. He grabbed her hand and rolled his eyes.

Edward squeezed mine, "_Try..?_" he whispered. I couldn't resist, he looked so hopeful, his golden eyes smoldering.

I closed my own, "I'll think about it."

Then the meeting was over and Edward and I were sitting on my bed.

He played with my fingers, running his own over them again and again in a blind pattern of some sorts.

"Edward, I'm scared." I whispered, watching our hands.

He looked up, his fingers still moving over mine, "I know. Jasper was as well. He spent…so many centuries…such a long time, drinking human blood without a second thought, and then he met Alice."

Edward's quick mouth whisked up into a smile.

"Hmmm…" I thought.

_Just keep trying. It's hard to resist when you've been drinking from humans all your life, but if you have a good reason not to, then it makes it much easier. I do it for Alice, for example._ Jasper's words came back to me, swirling around the room and coming to rest in my lap. A gift of knowledge. Edward was staring at my insanely large grin with a bemused expression.

"Okay," I breathed, "I'll try for you Edward."

His fingers twisted through mine and we both leaned over, our lips meeting softly.

"Just help me…" I murmured into his mouth.

He answered by pulling me against him.

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry! I wanted to get my laptop, and then set up my regular posting, but the laptop's (as I said up there) on hold right now, and I'm not sure whether I'll get it before or after school begins, so I wanted to post a chapter and see how many of my lovely reviewers are still being lovely and reviewing. **

**Once again, as soon as I get my laptop, I'll update everyday, maybe twice a day! I just want my laptop! Silver, sleek, beautiful, thin, portable, of course. Everything I've ever dreamed of. Built in wireless internet- that would be heaven. **

**Anyway...**

** REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! **

**Review like you've never reviewed before. Review _if_ you've never reviewed before. Just:**

**R E V I E W !  
**


	10. A Conversation

**A/N: I've been reading so much fanfiction lately, I just had this _craving_ to write something. And it ended up being longer than any other chapter... I think. So here's my gift to you:  
**

* * *

**Recaps: **His fingers twisted through mine and we both leaned over, our lips meeting softly.  
"Just help me…" I murmured into his mouth.  
He answered by pulling me against him.

* * *

The next week Carlisle began working again and Esme started another project on the house. Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, and Edward were put in charge of helping me control my thirst.  
The bloodlust drove me crazy. I understood now, what Jasper was feeling. After a lifetime of have delicious desserts, a mere helping of vegetables was hardly enough.

I sat on the edge of the forest. Hidden under the cover of the trees where even the slightest rays of rare sunshine couldn't reach me, I watched the cars pass by with wary eyes. Even the scent of disgusting gas and smoke from the exhaust pipe could not cloud the delicious aroma pouring out with it. Sweet as honey, the scent of lush roses, daisies… I licked my lips.

"Urgh!" I groaned, clutching my hair with clawed fingers. Vampires couldn't get migraines, at least as far as I knew, but I was so angry. Why couldn't I control myself?

And then the less noble side of me disagreed. Why was I even trying to follow the ways of this strange coven of golden-eyed vampires? What was the point of this? I'd been raised drinking human blood and now I was trying to convert… like Jasper… for Edward.

I sighed and raised myself off the ground, brushing leaves and debris off the back of my jeans. The trees blurred into a mixture of green and brown and then I was standing in front of the house.

I opened it silently, even walking mutely I was sure they would hear me. Strangely, only Jasper seemed to be in the house. And Rosalie and Emmett, but they were in their room doing something that I wished I could block out.

"Jasper?" I asked, knocking timidly on the door of his and Alice's room.

"Yes Bella, come in." He was putting a bookmark in his book and placing it by the bed table when I walked in.

"Sorry to bother you, I can come back another time…" I muttered, already turning to leave.

"No, no, it's fine. I was just reading a little. I've always been curious about some subjects…psychology a major among them." He added before I'd even asked.

I cocked my head, "You mean because you're so… charismatic?"

He chuckled, "I suppose that's why. It's just something that's always interested me. You know, I was in the army." He added, patting the space beside him.

I sat on the edge of his bed and watched him. His eyes were light, topaz, beautiful. My own eyes were ebony now; my thirst burning my throat, but my fear keeping me from hunting.

"Yes, Edward told me about that. He said you were a major."

"I was." Jasper said no more on the subject, and I was too shy to ask. I turned my attention to the empty room and remembered my curiosity from earlier.

"Where is everyone?" I asked. Jasper's power was stronger now, as I was in the same room as him. It longed to be let free, so I let it, and regretted it instantly.  
Jasper was calm, mellow, much as he was usually. But just a few doors over there was ravaged desire, excitement…lust. I shuddered, suddenly missing Edward, wishing to feel his stealthy lips on mine, caressing every part of my body.

Jasper coughed unnecessarily and I blinked away my day-dream, embarrassed.

"Sorry…" I mumbled.

Jasper chuckled, "Carlisle is at the hospital, as you know. Esme, Alice, and Edward went to the school to sign you up and give some excuses for the family's absence."

I gasped, "Oh no! I've been keeping you from school! Your family's been so caught up in my affairs that you haven't been keeping up the normal human façade, I'm so sorry!" How could I have kept the entire family sitting around waiting for me to come out of my room for days and sulk around the house as they lost respect from the town.

Jasper raised an eyebrow. "You're in agony." He stated, almost seeming amused.

"I'm sorry. I kept your family busy…when you could've been at school."

He laughed, "Bella, don't worry. You think of yourself as a burden too much of the time. _You_ are family to us. And we've all been to high school enough times to get used to the melodramatic human reactions and the overused subjects. I'm hoping to go to Cornell University soon…" he stared away from me, unseeing, for a moment.

"So when do you think we'll be starting school?" I asked, trying to seem nonchalant.

He didn't buy it for a minute, but ignored the rapidly fluttering fear. "Well, the story is that you're Esme's niece coming to visit while your parents vacation and you'll be going to school with us. You need time to adjust, of course," he raised an eyebrow, smirking, "so we'll need another week to get you settled until we come to school."

I smiled, "It seems like you're good at making stories."

He nodded, "It helps to have a few cover stories on hand."

"But what about the last few weeks," I worried, biting my lip.

Jasper sighed and shook his head, "You worry too much, Bella. It was spring break."

"Hmm…we have that in Volterra, too. But only some guards get off, and one at a time, for a few days. We're just allowed to lounge around, but it's not much fun, there's nothing to do." I stared at the strange swirling patterns on the quilt as I spoke, tracing them with my eyes and seeing the empty corridors of the castle in my mind.

"It's hard, I know." Jasper said quietly, watching me.

I looked up, biting my lip, "Yes. _How_ do you _do_ it!" I asked, suddenly agonized.

Jasper thought for a moment, and it was suddenly so silent in the house I could hear my own breathing.

"I'd begun to feel terrible," he started, and I looked up to see him gazing dreamily at the ceiling, seeing something I could not. "I was starting to feel depressed, the last century, and much more had been filled with war, so much death. And killing humans everyday…I'd lost all my humanity, I was nothing then, but a monster."

I opened my mind to him, and it was filled with images of Jasper, covered in battle scars trudging along behind a dark-haired female. _Maria was vicious, bloodthirsty_.

I frowned.

"Who is Maria?"

Jasper looked at me in shock for a moment, then chuckled. "That's a story for another time. But just when I was beginning to lose myself completely, I saw her…"

Alice danced into his mind, sitting on a high stool in a bar, it looked like. She twirled over and began chattering in her soprano voice. _I knew it was love at first sight_. This time Jasper was speaking to me.

"Alice always says to think of them as people. It's helpful with your gift. You can get in their minds and learn about them." He finished, smiling at me, serene.

"Thanks." I whispered, almost to myself.

"How does your power work?" Jasper asked suddenly, sitting up straighter.

"Ooh, yes Bella! I was wondering about that as well." Alice danced into the room, surprising me. I hadn't noticed her return, and realized I hadn't been using Jasper's power anymore.

Edward walked in after her and smiled at me. He sat beside me and wrapped his arms around my waist; the embrace felt warm.

"It's a little like a net…" I started explaining, as I'd done so often, so many times I couldn't count.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

We were in the forest. It was dark and the dense leaves overhead covered any stars. But my sharp eyes could see everything.

"Don't worry." Edward murmured, squeezing my hand.

I nodded, though the butterflies in my stomach were thumping against it, trying to find a way out.

"I'm right behind you. I won't let anything happen." Edward said, and that was my cue to run. I ran and ran, blurring the trees, not a whisper of a leaf even, just the breeze whipping past my ears, and my rhythmic breathing. I could sense Edward somewhere behind me, watching over me carefully, and that made it easier.

Then there was a herd of deer, probably the largest animal in the entire forest. I pounced, drinking three before any of the others had time to escape. The fourth fully satiated my thirst and I stood up, wiping my mouth and burying the carcasses without a thought.

It was good, but not good enough.

Edward seemed to know. He smiled at me encouragingly and then we were back at the house.

"I know it's hard, Bella, and I understand if you don't want-"

"No." I cut him off, "I do want to try this way. I want to _live_ this way of life. I've been raised to kill without a second though, but the guilt has always plagued me. I know now, I'll never be able to kill humans again." I whispered, watching him.

His eyes softened. "Go ahead and shower, you're a messy eater." He grinned.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Bella, I want to show you something." Edward whispered.

I was in my room in the dark, watching the half-crescent of moon that was visible from the angle I was at, laying on my bed.

I sat up. "Edward?" My vision was perfect in the darkness, but Edward was so fast even I couldn't see him.

And then his lips were at my throat, his breath tickling my chin. I pulled away and giggled quietly. It was almost as if the house was asleep, each couple to his own.

"What did you want to show me?" I asked.

Without a word he slid his fingers through mine and tugged me along. We flew through his room and then we were on the couch and his fingers were fluttering along the panes and panes of windows that took up an entire wall. He found something and there was a tiny click.

His fingers reached for mine again and he tugged me halfway through the window.

"Edward?" I asked frantically, as his feet disappeared somewhere above my head.

"Here, Bella." He lowered a faintly muscular white arm down and I held on to it. Both of my feet were on the edge of the window sill and I stretched my calves at the same time as Edward tugged.

I rolled over the edge of the roof and into Edward's chest. We both lay there, staring at the stars, his arms wrapped around me, pressing me into him.

"Mmmm… It's beautiful." I whispered, my eyes dazzled by the endless array of stars. My sharp vampire sight could see the very faint ones that human eyes couldn't catch, adding dozens and dozens more into the mix.

"Yes, it is." Edward whispered, his lips pressed into my hair.

I traced the intimate curve of the moon with my eyes again and again. "We never had stars like these in Volterra. There were stars, of course, but there were always so many lights. And I usually had a night shift…but here." I sighed and snuggled into his muscular chest.

"It's so comforting…so nice, being with you. Whenever I'm with anyone, their mind is always speaking; there's never silence." His voice was a sigh.

"I'm still thinking you know." I prodded his stomach.

"You're strong." Edward laughed quietly.

"I'm channeling Emmett." I said, half-sarcastically, half-truthfully. I let my hand rest lightly on his stomach, almost timidly.

"It's as if we were made for each other." Edward whispered after a silent pause.

I cocked my head. "How so?" Though my own mind was beginning to form a variety of different reasons.

"Well, the one that makes most sense to me is because I hear voices in my head…" he paused and laughed, "And your mind is a mystery. I can't hear your most _intimate_ thoughts, and you grant me silence."

_Intimate_… the word stirred butterflies in my stomach, but they were different than the ones from this afternoon. Almost without my notice, subconsciously, the fingers of my left hand, the one that lay on Edward's stomach, began to trace nonsense patterns over his muscled stomach.

I was surprised that behind the lean figure there was so much muscle. He didn't say anything, and we both continued to stare up at the stars, my fingers still dancing on his shirt. I wondered what he would do if…

I slid my hand beneath the hem of his shirt and rested it on his taut stomach. He sucked in a breath of air, but I didn't look up.

My fingers traveled beneath his shirt, up to his chest, finally coming to rest where his heart would be beating.

"Bella…" Edward whispered, his velvety voice rough, I quickly slid my hand away, afraid I'd bothered him, but when I looked into his beautiful topaz eyes, they looked hungry…full of desire.

* * *

**A/N: I'm not sure if this is considered a Cliff-hanger ending, but I hope it's not. **

**A special thanks to Purple Punk Pirate who decided to be creative and review 'like she's never reviewed before' with a song: )**

**I'm not sure if I'll post another chapter before my school begins (ugh!) on August 28th like most schools, but this one was extra long, so I hope it makes up for any extra waiting you'll need to do while I get used to my horrid schedule. : (**

**Now it's your turn to do me the favor and: **

**R E V I E W .**

**R E V I E W .**

**R E V I E W. **

**Cheers!  
**

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**


	11. A Note

Dear Readers:

It's been so long since I posted anything for this story. I apologize greatly, because I enjoyed writing it so much. But the end must come.

I have to say, though- I attempted to write more, but with so much going on, school... homework... the like... I couldn't keep going.

I'm happy to announce, though, that I am back on FanFiction (which I left for a quite a while). I'm in the process of writing another story, which already has one chapter up.

**Angel's Blood.**

You can find it on my profile.

Cheers!


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